Hebrews 10: 35-37; Habakkuk 2: 3; Psalm 27: 13-14
13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. 14 Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
The dictionary defines the word hope as the feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. In other words, hope is an aspiration, ambition, or anticipation that nurses the likelihood for something to occur. Depending on the school of thought you uphold (or the perspective you adopt), hope can be perceived as something good or bad. Bad – because it nurses the anticipation of something that might never occur; thus probably promoting the notion of a false reality. Good – because it harbors the expectation of something that could most likely occur; supporting the concept of positive thinking.
Generally, the optimistic or pessimistic mindset comes into play in the case of hope; however, this article is focused on the optimistic perspective, especially as it relates to hope placed on God through His word. The Bible encourages us not to cast away our confidence which has a great recompense of reward (KJV). The word ‘confidence’ here is ‘hope’ – that is, the joyful expectation that God will fulfill our desires based on the premise of His word. This verse suggests the fact that there is a reward for those who hope in God! So even if the waiting period of a ‘blessed’ hope endures, we can count on the love and mercy of a never-failing God – that is why the Bible says ‘wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry’.
The beauty of a blessed hope is that it keeps your spirit aglow while waiting; hope keeps the dream alive, empowers you to try one more time, gives the grace to get up and go one more day. In a nutshell, hope renews your daily strength, zeal, passion, and interests. There is something about that expectation that keeps you going, even if it is a day-at-a-time. But much more than this is the strength that comes from depending on HIS word, and resting on HIS promises! No wonder the Bible says ‘ I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
In conclusion, there is some blessedness in hope; not just any kind of hope, but that which is firmly rooted on the Lord Jesus Christ, and anchored in HIS infallible word. A hope that is not easily shaken or broken; but a conviction that nurtures the reality of your expectations. This is the hope that keeps the heart beating, and the Spirit alive, in spite of all odds!
Do you have a blessed hope?